Mardi Gras

On Tuesday, February 9, 2027, Mardi Gras brings the Carnival season to its joyful close with parades, music, and rich food shared among family and friends. The feasting carries a purpose older than the parties: it is the last day before Lent begins, and when the day ends, the season of fasting starts.

FEB9

Tuesday, February 9Every year on February 9

days to go

Roots: Mardi Gras is French for 'Fat Tuesday,' a name that comes from the custom of eating rich, fatty foods on the last day before the Lenten fast begins.
Hashtag: #MardiGras

Add to my calendar Send a card Email a friend

Apple or Outlook calendar

3 ways to celebrate

OUT AND ABOUT

Watch a Parade

Join the crowds for a krewe parade and catch the beads, or follow along from home with family. The floats, masks, and music are the joyful heart of the day.

AT THE TABLE

Share a King Cake

Serve a king cake decorated in purple, green, and gold, and let whoever finds the hidden baby host the next gathering.

AT HOME

Gather for a Feast

Share a generous table with family and friends, enjoying the rich foods that gave Fat Tuesday its name before the Lenten fast begins.

Plan ahead

Mardi Gras is observed on February 9 every year. Here is where it lands for the next ten years, handy for planners, marketers and party people.

2026Mon, Feb 9this year

2027Tue, Feb 9

2028Wed, Feb 9

2029Fri, Feb 9

2030Sat, Feb 9

2031Sun, Feb 9

2032Mon, Feb 9

2033Wed, Feb 9

2034Thu, Feb 9

2035Fri, Feb 9

2036Sat, Feb 9

Add to my calendar (repeats yearly)

Fast facts

The Carnival season begins on Epiphany, January 6, and builds for weeks toward Fat Tuesday.

The oldest documented Mardi Gras celebration in the United States was held in Mobile, Alabama, in 1703.

The story

Mardi Gras is a single day, the final day of the wider Carnival season. Carnival begins on Epiphany, January 6, and builds for weeks toward Fat Tuesday, which always falls on the Tuesday immediately before Ash Wednesday, 47 days before Easter Sunday.

Read the full story

In New Orleans, the day is marked by parades organized by social clubs called krewes, with decorated floats, masked riders, and throws of beads. The celebration culminates in major parades such as Rex, the King of Carnival. The Rex organization, founded in 1872, also established the city's official Mardi Gras colors: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power.

King cake is the signature food of the season in New Orleans, a ring shaped pastry decorated in purple, green, and gold. A tiny baby figure is hidden inside, and whoever finds it traditionally hosts the next king cake party.

New Orleans is not the day's only home. The oldest documented Mardi Gras celebration in the United States was held in Mobile, Alabama, in 1703, before New Orleans was founded. When Fat Tuesday ends, the feasting gives way to Ash Wednesday and the quiet of Lent.